[Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children 11] • The Daffodils of Plague Town

"Plague Town is a city of mansions, nestled in rolling hills of wild daffodils. But the masters of the town's mansions have gone. Only the resident butlers were convinced that the masters would return home, and they waited in anticipation, believing that once again the master' regal voices would bellow, "Hobbs, get me a drink! It's been a hellish day!" And the butlers would be ready, with golden cups on silver trays, ice tinkling the way it does in gin. "Of course, sir," they would say. "Here you are, sir. It's good to have you back, sir."

When the masters never returned, the mansions withered in the silence of neglected. And the butlers, no lonely Sundays, wandered through the daffodils, searching for someone to serve."